When working on rudiments,
particularly with a lazy hand (usually your left) on a practice pad, I
find it very important to use only perfictly matched sticks (I use alloy
Ahead brand sticks for this reason). If you are being frustrated by triplets
that allways seem to lag or single stroke rolls that seem to bunch try
looking at your sticks. The differance in tone of sticks can be percieved
by the ear as a differance in tempo and nothing is worse than banging your
head on a wall trying to unlearn somthing you've learned wrong. Stay in
the pocket.

I think that a good
practice aid is to have a study rota/timetable. It helps, in the sense
that it keeps you organised. My timetable is very varied from day-to-day,
and it deals with everything: from Rudiments to Reading, from co-ordination
to concentration. Even although I break my schedule up every day, there
are some things that I always do.

These are:

Hand Work: For this I play
through different parts of George Stone's book Stick Control in front of
the mirror in my mom's room. I use a metronome and play at various tempos
and dynamic levels. (Time taken:45 mins-1 hour)

Feet Work: Again for this I
use Stick Control mainly. The way I approach this is to play time with
my hands (leading with either hand) and play the patterns with my feet
at the same time. I also like to test my endurance by holding out mainly
single stroke, and inverted double stroke rolls with my feet (again leading
with either foot). When doing this I take care not to strain and tense
my muscles in my legs, because remember, speed and endurance comes from
being RELAXED! (Time taken: 45 mins-1hour)

Click Work: Basically what
I do here is to put on my metronome and just play!! I like do go way out
as far as I can and try to come back in on beat 1 again. Another thing
I do is to just play grooves for the length of a song, about 3 or 4 minutes
(or 10 in the case of Dream Theater) with NO FILLS. I try to play the groove
with as much feel and conviction as possible. If done right, this is quite
a hard thing to do! Time taken (30-45 mins)

Remember, about this
and ANY practice tip: Each tip is only of that drummer's opinion and might
not work for you. But through trial and error, hopefully you will find
some which suit YOU!!

Play a drum roll
or rudiment. Look at your right hand. Look at your left hand. You might
notice your right hand looks and sounds a lot better than your left hand
(if youre right handed). Try copying your right hand with your left. Copy
the way you hold your stick as well as how your wrist moves. One thing
I have done to try and catch up is to do 16th notes with my left hand while
holding my arm with my right. This works out your wrist muscles more than
your arm muscles and you left hand will gradually get stronger, and sticking
will get easier.

I have found that
placing crashes on odd notes such as e or and of a measure
is cool, or you know just place crashes in places where you wouldn't normally
put one. I used to just use crashes for finishing off a nice fill or just
to be the fill itself. I have come to realize that the places you can fit
crashes, splashes or any kind of cymbal are endless and should be explored.

I have found that
music such as jazz or funk has inspired this because the first time I ever
heard jazz I was thinking, "man the fills are out of this world,"
and I knew I had to learn this stuff. Remember all you hard core rock fans
out there that anything like Rudiments or any kind of sticking patterns
can be applied to rock and tremendously improve your chops. If you have
never listened to jazz, give it a try and you might stumble on to a fantastic
fill you have no idea how to do but it sounds really cool.

So remember have
fun and keep an open mind on things!!

Matthew Kidson

Two stick(y) tips
for you.

If you find that
you're breaking a lot of sticks while practising and on a tight budget,
tape up the stick from the top of your hand to just before the tip with
masking tape [I use electrical tape - Ed.], the tape will get banged but
your sticks will remain in pretty good shape making them last longer. Note
: This does make your sticks heavier, but it feels really good and you
are more in control when you play without the tape on!

And if you find you're
having trouble keeping your sticks in your hands, (they keep flying around
or dropping), take the same masking tape and wrap it around where you hold
the stick so the sticky side is on your hand. This will give you a bit
of extra added grip, and there'll be less fights during band practice.

Set your metronome
at around 60. Start playing quarter notes on the snare. Then eights, then
triplets, then 16ths, then 5's (tricky!) 6's....up to 10's and back. The
hardest part is going from on to another without stopping. If you get it
smooth, you can make great fills using 5's or 7's. It builds huge tension
and sounds great!

Dave Berman

This isn't really
a tip; it's just a little thing that I do. Say you're practicing for about
half an hour a day, right. You would practice whatever for the first fifteen
minutes. Then for the remaining fifteen minutes just continually play,
non stop, and every minute change the pattern that you are playing. When
doing this it's best not to play stuff to difficult: just take it easy.
Hhint: if you stop for some reason then you must start again, this is good
for discipline.)

What I find useful
is listen to your favourite song, it doesent even matter if theirs drumming
in it. Put it on loud and just play what you feel. It really works to help
your ability to play different styles.

Russell McAdoo

While warming up
and practicing paradidles on my pad (which is actually placed on top of
my snare drum), I've found very challenging doing the same sticking patterns
with my feet. It means RRLLL, LLRR, RLRRLRLL. You can also create your
own "sticking" patterns to be aplied to the feet. I use this
to develop independence and stamina for double bass drumming.

I've been playing
for a few years now, I've never really had lessons, I taught myself, but
I also play the piano and guitar and other stuff. The thing I've found
most useful to getting better and more creative on the drums was when I
had one hour-long lesson on jazz drumming. I was just taught a few little
things that are done in jazz drumming, and I found that these things can
be incorporated very effectively into songs for my band, and we play kind
of rock/metal style.

Another drummer I
noticed does this, but he's obviously learnt jazz drums fairly extensively,
is Steve Hewitt from Placebo, and the drummer Placebo had on their first
album also, but I can't remember his name right now..listen out for it!

Also these jazz techniques
are great for when you're just sitting behind the drums and just playing
blindly to yourself, they really allow for creativity. I'm a great fan
of this personally, obviously it'll vary from drummer to drummer, but I
think any drummer who's managed to get themselves stuck in a rut would
find this extremely useful for clambering out of it.

Firstly, go to your
nearest music shop and buy a blank sheet music booklet. Late at night,
when the folks are in a torpor and the neighbors would get furious, write
out whatever comes into your head. Just scribble it down - it doesn't need
to look nice. Whenever you feel like it, get out on the set and play it
through - refine it, destroy it, whatever you prefer. This will not only
greatly enhance your reading abilities, but help you figure out exactly
what kind of things go through the ol' head.

Secondly, go back
to that same store and pick up some classical music. This stuff has survived
for over one thousand years for a very simple reason - it's damn good.
Start out with Mozart or something else simple - and nevermind the fiduciary
aspects, it's cheap - and put your own lines to it. This really solidifies
what you can - and can't - do, and helps out on that ever-popular creativity
facet.

Thirdly, a little
note for the all-hallowed "individuality" idea that we all scream
about. Go back to the store - again, I know - and yank out any CD's with
these drummers on board Danny Carey (Tool), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews
Band), Chad Sexton (311), Neil Peart (Rush), and Tim Alexander (Primus).
These guys - though Alexander's not with a band right now - are the masters
of modern, prevalent drumming, regardless of what anyone (besides me, of
course) tells you. Take these little masterworks and listen to them until
you've got them completely ingrained and entrammeled in your memory, and
then go play them - make sure you've got them out. Then - here's the fun
part - take one that you exceptionally enjoy, and start with it. Get the
feel and pull of the thing, and then trash it. Play out your own ideas
- but with the same song still in your head. Take what these guys have
done and completely ignore (and abstain from) it - you'll be amazed at
what you can do with simply having them around to lead you down this ornately
wound path. I usually do this whenever I get bored with/sick of my rudiments
and things, viz., every five minutes or so. Oh well.

Here is a great warmup
that a teacher showed me. Play 16th notes on the snare- 1 E + A 2 E + A.
Then do that on the kick with one foot only! Repeat that once more. Then
go onto 1 E + A then do the same with the kick, then repeat. Then do 1
E, then that on the kick, then repeat.

I know you probably
have no idea what I just tried to explain, but its really great. Play a
quick 16th note roll on the snare then try doing it with your kick foot.
Trust me its great.

I would have to say
that the best way to improve your playing is by putting your clicker at
any speed, play as many different chops on the same beat and altering the
speed of the metronome. Try to keep focused and sit straight. Then, try
to play the grooves with your leading hand on the snare and the other hand
on the HH. This is great for developing ambidexterilty. Also, listen to
as many styles of music because this will help you build your style and
give you ideas for fills or chops.

I've got two tips
for those who need them. Experienced drummers have probably heard this
one, but they are both pretty good, so here they are.

I play a single pedal,
although both of these techniques work best (as far as ive seen) on a double.
First off, there is a trick that some like to call a double bass drumroll.
It sounds impossible, but its a lot easier (if you practice) than it would
seem. When you hit your kick pedal(s), hit them with your heel first, then
your toe, as though you were walking on it. Heel-toe, heel-toe. If you
do this correctly, then you should get two bass pounds out of one kick.
Cool, eh? If you've a double, then do this with alternating feet over and
over, and practice smoothing it out. It will sound like a slow drumroll.
(This is best with solos... I've never found a place for them in standard
beats.)

Next, this one I
believe is an oldie but goodie, and works with just a tidge of practice.
Hit your bass drum before any cymbal crash after any fill. (Fill, quick
bass, cymbal). This is best with a double unless you have a really fast
ankle with a really fast single, but it can be done. You will be suprised
at how much more thorough this makes your fills sound.

My only other advice
is get a good teacher, and practice those rudiments. I know as well as
anyone that they are boring, annoying, monotinous, etc. but they do wonders
on any techinique, be it jazz to Top 40. Also, pick up a book called "The
Working Drummer" by Rick Van Horn...its got lots of valuable tips
on how to survive as a highly booked drummer. Have fun!

One word-Practice!!
Practicing is the only way to get your drumming skill to go anywhere. But
when you practice, try to play new things and be creative. Work with difficult
stuff as much as you can, and everything will seem a lot easier.

Dan L.

Try taking any old
basic groove or practice pattern and just try flipping roles between your
limbs! Try basic bossa nova for example, and swap the right hand pattern
with your right foot. After that, left foot, right hand and so on. Fiddle
a lot with paradiddles and jazz/funk grooves this way too. It worked wonders
for me!

A good way to make
your left hand as strong as your right hand is easy. Practice with your
left hand only doing eighth notes and quarter notes. Do this for about
a week. After that time, you will notice that when you start playing, you
will be able to start drum fills with your left hand just as easily as
your right. This works well for set drummers, but it works even better
for Marching Band snare and quad players.

David "DR. BEAT" Branham

Hi. I´m writing
from Venezuela. I´ve been playing for 5 years; I´m 20 years
old right now. Ifound out the a good practice tip is: what ever you do
with your hands, do it with your feet, even if you don´t play a double
pedal, do everything. Every busy thing: rest, accents, syncopations, rudiments,
flams; do it all. And practice SLOWLY first, then increase speed. Remenber
more important than speed is accuracy and play even. Bye and keep drumming.

Besides being the
best at what you do, you always have room to be better, especially when
it comes to music. No one mentioned the fact of how long it took them to
get to where they are now. I'm not talk'n about years, but hours!! I found
that three to four hours a day,three to four days a week to be tremendously
effective. Some can't afford that much time, some can. What price are you
willing to pay to be the B E S T !!!!

Gambriel Beasley

Greatest tip for
strengthening your foot speed (I just discovered this today): tighten the
spring or setting of the bass to resist your foot more than you are used
to playing at. After becoming familiar with this setting, loosen the spring
a little. Your speed will be increased. This is an easy way to improve
your bass pedal skills. If I keep doing this I won't have any need for
a double-bass pedal!

Well, I am only 16
and have been playing for about a year and a half, but I actually do have
at least one practice tip for drummers. Listening to fast music like Pennywise
inspired me to try my hardest, and it payed off. This past few weeks I
have been trying to use one foot on double-bass songs, like the "experts"
do. It's hard, but I'm getting there. When I took my first lesson (I only
took around 6), I didn't know a thing about drumming, and I still don't
know the slightest thing about reading music or any of that technical stuff.

All I can say is
I love drumming, and until my hands form callouses, I'll just have to play
until my fingers bleed.

TIP- Try moving around
the drums so that they are closer together. This lets you play faster,
but don't smash your fingers on the rims. Ah, and try to lean into or away
from the kick-drum to strengthen your foot speed. And just have fun like
me.

Keep your hands relaxed
when playing fast; if your hands are all tensed up they can't move as fast....practice
makes perfect; rock on!

Ryan Wakeling

Well I've not been
playin' very long..er..must be 10 months now but I've found that certainly
expanding my horizons has been to listen to all sorts of different types
of music and once you find stuff you like try playing along to it.

Also try playing
with something other than your hi-hat or ride. I've always used them and
when I want a different sound for say a bridge or middle eight of a song
I find it difficult to come up with something imaginative on the toms.
I use the excuse of having to play right handed when I normally play left
handed but right footed bass. Most people don't have this excuse though
(it's pretty pathetic anyway) so try it you can get some really thunderous
sounds or something spacy and airy!

Don't be too content
sitting at the back all the time either make sure you get a little chance
to show off what you can do somewhere in the set. It need not bee too long
or complicated either I once did a simple 4/4 on the toms then 8/4, then
a single stroke roll round the kit and people were genuinly impressed.
Most of them have no idea so just try it!

Ok, I have been playing
for over 10 years - almost 20, really. I mainly play metal, but I can hop
into most anything. I've never taken lessons or studied. Worst of all I
know almost none of the typical drummers jargon. I couldn't tell you a
triple from a coke can.

BUT, that has never
stopped me from being able to play. I have always found that if you can
visualize it in your head - the beat, what drums are being hit - you can
actually learn a song or beat before you even get near you kit. Of course
you still have to physically work it out, but you should have a very good
idea.

Another really bizarre
tip is to try to make the drums sounds with your mouth while subconsiously
making note of the number of beats and timing. I know this sounds wierd,
but I've done it a long time and can listen to a beat or pattern or roll,
and without consiously knowing the number of beats in it still do it exactly
right. Of course it you walk around in public playing the human beatbox
you may get wierd looks but....

Best overall thing
Ican tell you is don't count, don't think, don't become a machine. Feel
what your doing. Don't sit and play thinking , ok its 10 beats on snare
then llr r ll on the tom, etc. Play the music as a whole, feel the beat;
feel the count. It would be better to play something 98% correct and not
even be able to say how many times you hit the snare on that last roll,
than to be 100% correct but have your mind overburdened with counting beats
and what hand went where. Music is an abstract creative art form, not a
lesson in algebraic equations. Anyone can learn to count, but not everyone
can blindly feel. Play with feeling, not robotics.